1 of a kind, unforgettable

Rating: 10/10 (9 December 2013)

If you love films (trust me, you would not have waded through some 200 reviews to get to this one, if you did not) then chances are you have a weak spot for almost-perfect, self-contained, little gems like this that not only leave you with an experience you will never forget but do so without benefit of precedent or facsimile; that is, they don't mimic anything that came before. Even more astounding is that Roth made his bones playing bad guys (which he does superbly) but in this rare film you get to see another side of him, and, who knew, he is at his core an actor's actor, he can play anything, it just happens he found a niche playing heavies. The scene where Roth's character goes one to one with Williams, whose character is Jelly Roll Morton, is one of the best strips of celluloid ever and if you have the ability to stop and replay, don't be surprised if you watch it (and listen to it) more than once. Bravo.